The shop manual has a procedure for torquing the heads after installation. One is supposed to initially torque them to 60 ft/lbs , run the engine and then re-torque them to 75. And then check the tappet settings. The only trouble is I can access the head bolts without removing the rocker arms and the exhaust manifolds.
Does anybody retorque the heads on these 292s?
After some research, I would say that the tool used to re -torque the top head bolts would be an 11/16 crowfoot obstruction wrench. This is a U shaped tool that presents the drive socket directly above the bolt. I am not sure about the lower head bolts. I think they may be obstructed by the exhust manifold.
I know that if you use a crowfoot wrench the torque will not be the same as the torque would be by putting a socket wrench directly on to the bolt. Just to confirm or back up my statement I did a search. If what the first result here claims your 75 lbs of torque would be increased by 12.5 pounds. I believe that the 2" mentioned here is pretty close to the offset of the crowfoot wrench.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=torque+difference+when+using+a+crowfoot+wrench%3F+
The procedure in the shop manual is probably for the thin steel shim type gaskets that were used at that time period by the factory. All replacement gaskets are a different material and usually don't require a re-torque.
So the tool I was referring to is a U shape and the drive socket is directly above the actual bolt. I don't think it would even fit in there. One of my original points is that the manual instructions describe something that isn't possible. Telling me to check the valve settings after, well after removing the rocker arm shaft and then reinstalling it, all the settings would be redone.
I looked at that reference and it is very interesting, thank you.That is a regular crowfoot.
I don't see anything impossible about removing the rocker arm shaft, torquing the head bolts, reinstalling the rocker arm shaft & then checking the valve clearances.
But, as Jim pointed out, you wouldn't need to re-torque the heads when using the newer head gaskets. In that case I assume that the initial torque should be 75 ft lbs.
As I read it in the manual, you do the re-torque and then check the valve settings. To me that implies that the rockers would not be removed. That is where I think the procedure was written by someone who never made it our of the office! That does happen.